Chelsea to make Antonio Conte highest-paid manager to ward off Inter

Antonio Conte will be rewarded for Chelseas Premier League success with a massive pay had given rise to ward off Internazionales interest and he will help attract 200 m of flair this summer

Chelsea are prepared to build Antonio Conte the highest-paid administrator in its own history and bankroll a lavish strengthening of his squad this summer as they seek to build on the teams impressive Premier League name success.

Conte, who signed a three-year bargain worth around 6.5 m-a-season at Stamford Bridge last summer, is expected to open talks on new terms after next weeks FA Cup final. Chelsea are acutely aware the 47 -year-old is coveted by Internazionale whose Chinese owneds, Suning Holdings, removed the psyche tutor Stefano Pioli last week after only six months in charge and would apparently be prepared to double Contes fund to bring him to San Siro.

While the Italian has indicated an instinctive desire to remain at Stamford Bridge and lead his team into a Champions League campaign he and his wife, Elisabetta, have been looking for schools in London for their daughter, Vittoria Chelsea will seek to deflect Inters interest by offering Conte an improved contract which better reflects his startling achievements over a first season in England. He is currently paid less than Pep Guardiola, Jos Mourinho, Arsne Wenger and Jrgen Klopp, whose sides he has comfortably overshadowed this season.

Roman Abramovich is likely to offer him in excess of the 7.5 m-a-year agreed with Mourinho in August 2015 after the Portugueses last name success for the fraternity. Discussions may still not is thoroughly straightforward, with Conte expected to seek the nomination of another Italian to his coaching staff when Steve Holland leaves the fraternity this summer to become Gareth Southgates No2 with England on a permanent basis. Gabriele Oriali, a former player and sporting director who worked closely with Conte in the Italian national set-up, is a candidate for the role, though Inter have conveyed those who are interested in taking him to San Siro. Chelsea had not seen adding to an already extensive coaching staff.

Conte will also strive greater input on recruitment, despite the close relationship he already enjoys with the sporting director, Michael Emenalo, and the influential football club and plc members of the security council, Marina Granovskaia. But both administrator and owned, ever conscious that Chelseas squad were fortunate with injuries this season, Conte has publicly praised the medical staff recognise the need to add depth to the playing staff if the team are to compete effectively in the Champions League.

The club are seeking to strengthen up and down their spine in deals which could expenditure in excess of 200 m as a throwback to the lavish spending of Abramovichs early days in charge. The Everton forward Romelu Lukaku, who is keen to return to Chelsea, and Alexis Snchez are both targets, though persuading Arsenal to part with the latter may prove problematic. There is strong interest in the France midfielder Tiemou Bakayoko, a key is part of the Monaco team who lead Ligue 1 and reached the Champions League semi-finals, and the Southampton centre-half, Virgil van Dijk.

Conte, who hopes to achieve Chelseas second Double with victory at Wembley over Arsenal, is targeting two high calibre musicians in every position, a strategy that are able to recognize the addition of two wing-backs to challenge Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses, for all their considerable contribution this word. The administrator would ideally seek to add either Juventuss Alex Sandro or David Alaba of Bayern Munich to his ranks.

John Terry will depart under freedom of contract, ending a glittering 22 -year association with the fraternity, while Nathan Ak could seek a fresh start elsewhere on a permanent basis. It remains to be seen whether Diego Costa, topic of strong concern from Tianjin Quanjian, is still at the fraternity in August. The Spain forward, contracted until 2019, was unsettled mid-season but indicated last week it is far from certain he will move to China.

Chelsea will resist any move by Real Madrid to entice Eden Hazard to the Bernabu, with the Belgian likely to be offered a new deal to remain in south-west London.

Courtois: We have silenced the critics and the laughter

Thibaut Courtois has said Chelseas musicians were stung by their fails last season, when they were to curtail laughing stocks as their name defense fizzled out, and praised his team-mates for ricochetting back.

The Belgium international has featured in all but one of the champs league plays this season, claiming his fourth domestic league name in seven seasons expended at Genk, Atltico Madrid and Stamford Bridge, with his form restored to that considered during Chelseas success in 2015. No other goalkeeper can match the 16 clean sheets he has secured this campaign, shape that has helped exorcise the remembrance of the sides 10 thplace finish 12 months ago.

Its amazing, especially after last year, he told. We had a lot of criticism, a lot of laugh at us. To bounce back in this way, to be champs After the Arsenal game[ in September] we were maybe in a bad instant again, but we ricochetted back and had an amazing six, seven months. Were very proud about that.

Last year, we had a moment when we were 15 th, 16 th in the league and people laughed at us. We were criticised and thats not nice after a season when you had won the league. Some criticisms were deserved and others were not.

They told we didnt want to play any more, they said we were lazy, that kind of material, which wasnt true.

We tried to win our plays but last year was just an off-year. Everybody is used to play for trophies and that was not the case, so everybodys dignity was hurt. Thats why we wanted to bounce back this season. To do that by winning the name again, thats amazing.

Our work ethic combined with a starvation of not wanting another season like last year. We have a lot of wins in this team.

Courtois, who has been linked with a return to Spain with Real Madrid, joined the underused Willian in committing his future to Chelsea in advance of the teams return to the Champions League. Next season that is a new goal coming after us, the 25 -year-old said.

Its already been a few years since Chelsea won the Champions League[ in 2012] and I missed out on one with Atltico in the last minute[ in 2014 ], so plenty of the players are hungry for winning that as well.

You need additions because you play on four different fronts, so thats important, but the fraternity and the manager know what theyre doing. We have already a lot of quality, but sometimes you need a bit more depth. This year we didnt have injuries and you never know what can happen next year. So they are able to do their work now and, hopefully, we can finish the season with an FA Cup win as well.

Retaining stellar epithets such as Eden Hazard will be critical, as well as Willian and other upper-class squad musicians. My future “re with” Chelsea, told Brazil forwardWillian, last seasons player of the year, who has started 13 league plays this time round. I have a contract until 2020 and I am happy here.

I know sometimes musicians always want to play, but I understand why I dont play much. I am happy and always try to help the team when I come in for the second half. I respect the decision of Conte if he necessity me in the second half or to start the game. I have to think about the group, about the team. We deserve to be champions.